A phobia is defined as some type of irrational behavior that involves avoidance or the situation or thing that is causing the fear. In terms of a dentist a phobia is irrational and unnecessary fear that causes someone to either avoid the dentist or experience an unnecessary amount of fear when they do visit the dentist.
In a lot of cases dental phobias are so bad that the people with the phobia do not even wish to speak of dentist even if the don’t have have to go back for another 6 months. It’s a mental thing and even the thought of a dentist gets under their skin.
Fear of the dentist can be broken down into three different categories. The first is dental anxiety. Dental anxiety is generally considered a fear of the unknown. This could be caused by visiting a new dentist or going in for a new procedure that you haven’t experienced yet.
The second type of dental fear is dental actually “dental fear”. Dental fear is the natural reaction that many people have related to going to the dentist. It is not as extreme as a phobia and most people who have a dental fear visit the dentist anyone and just gut it out.
The third and final type of dental fear is a dental phobia. People with a dental phobia are generally so scared that they avoid the dentist at all cost. Their fear is often unsubstantiated and unnecessary. In most cases the person is so scared that they will get physically sick if they have to go to the dentist.
That is quick rundown of the different types of fear of the dentist. If you fall into one of these three categories then stick around and I will do my best to try to help you feel better about visiting your dentist and getting the dental care you need.